Meta’s Quest headset has been dominating the mixed reality space, but developers are beginning to take notice of Sony’s upcoming PlayStation VR2. According to GDC’s 2023 State of the Industry survey, 18 percent of developers plan to release their next game on the PS VR2, with 35 percent expressing interest in the headset. Despite the growing interest in Sony’s device, the Meta Quest still holds the most interest for developers, with 39 percent saying it was the most interesting VR headset and 36 percent planning to release their next game.
Ahead of the February 22 launch of the PS VR2, Sony has stated that the device will be easier to port previously released games for, with support for Unity and Unreal at launch, as well as dummy data for eye and tracking data without the need of wearing a headset. The survey also revealed that 35 percent of game developers are currently making titles for the Meta Quest, up from 27 percent the previous year. The Meta Quest Pro (previously “Project Cambria”), set to release on October 22 for $1500, has also piqued the interest of 19 percent of developers.
However, the survey also found that the number of developers making titles for mixed reality (VR/AR) has decreased from 42 percent to 38 percent, with no explanation for the decline. Regarding the metaverse, most developers believe that the only team that will pull that off is Epic Games’ Fortnite, with 14 percent of participants putting their faith in the cartoony battle royale. Other potential candidates like Meta’s Horizon Worlds or Minecraft were picked by 3 percent and 2 percent of developers, respectively.
Forty-five percent of developers remain skeptical about the metaverse’s potential, up from 33 percent the previous year. According to one survey taker, one of the metaverse’s biggest hurdles is its image problem, the need for cheaper, better hardware, and a gimmick that makes it truly stand out. They added that the metaverse must be built by its users in a platform meant for public use and offer a unique experience not found anywhere else. Game Developer and GDC are sibling companies under Informa Tech, and the 2023 State of the Industry report was produced in collaboration between Game Developer and Game Developers Conference.
